Wyoming RLC Coordinator Michael Dean, speaks to Tea Party rally, with a big "Howdy"

Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus, the organization that represents the libertarian wing of the GOP, participated in Tea Party rallies all over the United States yesterday. Here is one RLCer who was asked to address the crowd in Casper, Wyoming.

Dean describes the RLC, as "basically a group that originated out of the Libertarian Party... we want to see Libertarians actually win elections."

He invites Tea Party members to the first statewide RLC organizing meeting next Monday night.

Note - Dean is a former lead singer for a punk rock band in Califoria, turned Wyoming Cowboy gun rights enthusiast.

http://www.rlc.org

Ultimatum!

Potential evidence Hasan was an AntiWar activist, and killed 13 US Soliders in revenge for Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

In what is being described as a further rift with his former Party, Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, is now threatening subpoenas of Obama administration officials to be issued on Monday, if more information on the Ft. Hood shootings is not immediately made available. He is joined by ranking Republican, and fellow New Englander Susan Collins of Maine.

From The Hill:

At a press conference Thursday, Lieberman said he would give the administration until Monday to release information about the shootings and, if it didn’t, would start subpoenaing.

Lieberman and ranking Homeland Security panel member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said they would issue the subpoenas to the Defense Department and Justice Department under their own authority and would seek full committee approval to take the administration to court if the information isn’t released.

A stern Lieberman said he and Collins have been stalled for five months in their attempts to seek answers in the Nov. 5, 2009, tragedy at the Texas military base, in which 13 people were shot dead. An Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Hasan, is accused of the murders, which Lieberman and others have described as an act of terrorism because Hasan had been in contact with Islamic clerics and may have acted out of opposition to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Further, Lieberman was quoted by the Washington Post:

"The painful fact is that 13 Americans died in the Fort Hood massacre," Lieberman said. "We owe it to them and their survivors and everyone else in our country to determine whether our government could have prevented their deaths -- and if so, why it did not -- so that we can make sure it does the next time."

Collins for her part accused the administration of "an inexplicable determination to stalemate and slow-walk our investigation."

Senator Collins, a staunch supporter of the US Military, has worked closely with her colleague Senator Lieberman before. They both co-sponsored the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act to codify recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. She has also been a tireless promoter of the Bath Ironworks in Maine, a Naval vessel restoration facility and shipyard. In 2003, she was one of the earliest Republican Senators to back President Bush's resolution to go into Iraq.

Libertarian-leaning Gov. Janice Brewer signs bill into law

From Eric Dondero:

Janice Brewer entered the Governor's office nearly two years ago, unexpectedly. Democrat Governor Janet Napolitano was tapped by Obama to head Homeland Security. According to Arizona law, since there is no Lt. Governors office, the Sec. of State ascends to Governor.

We wrote here at LR on Jan. 23, 2009:

This is the truly one great thing to come out of the election of socialist authoritarian Barack Hussein Obama to President; Arizona got a libertarian-leaning Governor in return.

Desert Mouse blog wrote on the same day:

Due to Obama's appointment of Janet Napolitano to head the Department of Homeland Security, Arizona's Secretary of State Jan Brewer has become our governor. Brewer is no Goldwater, no Jeff Flake, but she is from that sparsely populated libertarian wing of the Republican Party nonetheless (and by that I don't mean she's a Virgil Goode or Ron Paul style paleocon), and we hope that she will amplify those tendencies in the Legislature...

Now Brewer has just signed an important piece of legislation into law that will warm the hearts of libertarians and hardline conservatives.

From USA Today - On Deadline:

In Arizona, it's now legal for (most) adults to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer just signed the legislation, putting her state in the same camp as Alaska and Vermont.

The state had issued 154,000 permits under the old law, which required background checks and instruction. Gun buyers still face federal background checks when purchasing weapons from a store.

Constitution First!

"I'm not a GOP activist, I'm an activist for Americans..."

LR ELECTION ANALYSIS

From Eric Dondero:

In Wisconsin's conservative 8th Congressional District, seven Republicans are running to defeat Democrat Congressman Steve Kagen, a vocal supporter of Obamacare and a medical doctor himself. The 8th district's two largest cities, Green Bay and Appleton, are both Republican strongholds. In 2006 and 2008, Republican House Speaker John Gard lost to Kagen, but in 2006 he lost by less than two percentage points.

Republicans in the district are split on who they should select to be the nominee, with four people considered the major contenders. Of the four major players, former three-term State Representative Terri McCormick has been a darling of the state's small-but-growing libertarian Republican base and should also receive support from various Tea Party groups in the district. McCormick created Wisconsin's charter school laws and pushed legislation through to allow for more entrepreneurs to create small businesses in the tax-heavy upper Midwestern state.

As for Congressman Kagen (D), he supported both Obamacare (and used his status as a doctor to woo Blue Dog Democrats to vote for the bill) and the $17.5 billion Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (H.R. 2487), which enables the federal government to withold 30% of all capital flows leaving the country (see http://www.zerohedge.com/article/its-official-america-now-enforces-capital-controls). Kagen also voted for TARP and the stimulus bill. He voted in favor of Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade bill (see http://kerrythomas.com/Archives/Kimosabi.htm for details). Kagen has gotten a 7% rating (out of 100%) from both National Taxpayers Union and Citizens Against Government Waste. His largest contributors are unions.

One of Terri McCormick's main opponents is State Representative Roger Roth, who was elected to McCormick's Assembly seat in 2006 when she upheld her term limits pledge. Representative Roth is a darling of the Republican Party Establishment, which has a terrible record of electing Republicans in the state (see: John Gard vs. Steve Kagen, 2006 and 2008, for example). At a public forum with all of the Republican candidates in January, Roger Roth had the following to say about the U.S. Constitution:

"At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper with a lot of words on it..."

(See YouTube Video)

In short, Roger thinks the Constitution is a flexible piece of paper, but that we "should elect people who believe in that!"

Learn more about Terri McCormick at http://TerriMcCormickforCongress.com/

Halloran already seen as a "Top US Politician."

Dan Halloran, former Chairman of the New York Republican Liberty Caucus, and a longtime member of the Libertarian Party, won election to the New York City Council, representing an upper Queens district last November. Halloran was elected on both the Republican Party and Libertarian Party lines. He currently serves as the highest elected Libertarian Party member in the Nation.

Since being on the Council, he's been a lightening rod for tax relief and loosening of regulations on small business. Now, he's taking his hardline free market message international.

From the Sofia News Agency April 17 "Top US Politicians Vow Support for Bulgarian Conservatives":

The conservatives, led by party leader, Yane Yanev and party members, Atanas Semov and Zhivko Temelkov were met in New York by Dan Halloran, who is a Republican, Libertarian, Independence and Conservative member of the New York City City Council.

Holloran greeted the Bulgarian delegation with: “The Republican Party stands by you, by RZS and Yane Yanev. You can count on us any time!”

The meeting brought a conclusion to a series of intense discussions with high-ranking American politicians, including former US Defense Minister, Donald Rumsfeld.

During the conversation with Halloran, the parties have exchanged ideas about the need t change Bulgaria’s Constitution in order to provide citizens with more opportunities to control State and local power structures. Yanev had appraised the US Republicans with his party’s effort to call a national referendum for a new Constitution, a move strongly acclaimed by Holloran.

Dan Holloran had further accepted to visit Sofia in the summer and share his experience in constitutional law, municipal management, and campaign organization. The Republican leader has agreed to lead a training course for the RZS candidates for the local elections in 2011, and invited Yanev to send young leaders to New York for education and training that would be financed by the Republican Party and the City Council. Other high-ranking Republicans have further stated their readiness to serve as moderators along with their teams for the RZS election campaign.

Note - besides Halloran, Libertarians also serve on the City Councils in Indianapolis, Springfield, MO, Cedar Rapids, IA, and numerous other towns and cities nationwide, most especially California, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.

LR EXCLUSIVE

"I am a Libertarian"

Manhattan Madame Kristin Davis left no room for doubt about her choice for Party for the Governor's race. She's going Libertarian.

Davis addressed the Manhattan-Queens-Staten Island Libertarian Party candidate forum Tuesday night and said she would seek the Libertarian nomination. "As some one who lost their freedom in an unconstitutional effort to jail me to stop me from speaking out, I am a poster child for freedom." Davis said "I am a Libertarian"

Davis said she would use her notoriety to get press coverage but use the media opportunity to push the Libertarian agenda.

She still must win the Party's nomination at convention in two weeks. Her opponent is Gunderlign Town Councilman and Attorney Warren Redlich. Redlich is also seeking the Republican nomination. Though, Davis herself has a Republican Campaign Consultant Roger Stone, welcomes Republican support, and has even called herself a "libertarian Republican," on occasion.

Former New York Governor George Pataki had an extensive interview with the Wall Street Journal, to announce plans for his new national organization to Repeal ObamaCare. But the question of Obama and his presidency in general also came up.

From the WSJ:

I'm very excited about Revere America. This is a great group of people that I'm going to be working with and as I've said for some time, I do want to get more involved in the national political dialogue and I think this is the best way to do it. We're going to be kicking off the end of this week an effort to get a million signatures, e-mails calling for the repeal and the reform and replacement of the Obama health-care bill. I'm optimistic that we can not only change that and have a significant impact in undoing the government's takeover of the health-care system, but we can also help candidates move onto other issues so that those who believe in limited government and not having Washington usurp power from the people and sacrifice their future with trillions in debt, in borrowing -- then, we can have a very real impact. So, when I looked at the different options, one of which included running for the Senate, it was obviously very flattering that people were encouraging me to run. I think that by being chair of Revere America and this effort to rally Americans in support of freedom, as Paul Revere did this coming Sunday 235 years ago, I think that's the best way for me to have an impact now.

(Later in the interview)

what we're seeing is a president who is ideologically committed to higher taxes, to bigger government, to having government dictate to people how they lead their lives...

Note - Pataki has been rumored to have a "libertarian streak" in the past. During his administration in the last 1990s, the Governor made some favorable comments about what he called "alternatives to the War on Drugs."

A "disgrace": Pro-Terrorist Rights, Pro-Racial Quotas, Anti-Property Rights

Free market economist Dr. Thomas Sowell has a column expressing great relief at the departure of ultra-liberal Justice John Paul Stevens from the Supreme Court. Sowell cites two key libertarian issues: Property Rights and Affirmative Action.

From RCP:

When Supreme Court Justices retire, there is usually some pious talk about their "service," especially when it has been a long "service." But the careers of all too many of these retiring jurists, including currently retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, have been an enormous disservice to this country.

Justice Stevens was on the High Court for 35 years-- more's the pity, or the disgrace. Justice Stevens voted to sustain racial quotas, created "rights" out of thin air for terrorists, and took away American citizens' rights to their own homes in the infamous "Kelo" decision of 2005.

Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the Supreme Court opinion that expanded the Constitution's authorization of seizing private property for "public use" to seizing private property for a "public purpose." And who would define what a "public purpose" is? Basically, those who were doing the seizing. As Justice Stevens put it, the government authorities' assessment of a proper "public purpose" was entitled to "great respect" by the courts.

Sowell goes on to blame Republicans for nominating wimpy Democrat-friendly nominees and not fighting hard enough for a more principled libertarian/conservative dominated Court.

SPECIAL GUEST EDITORIAL

Seniors need to stop whining about health care cuts; "We can take care of ourselves"

by Jayne D. Frank, Michigan

As a lifelong Republican, I am sad to be moving away from the ways of my parents and grandparents and those friends around us that are Republicans. I fervently believe that the Republican Party is out of touch and has lost its way. This blog article is my way to bring attention to this growing problem. God knows, we have written our Representatives and Republicans for many months now about preserving our Constitution and stopping the progressive agenda of the Administration. We have requested that they get back to their core platform of lean, accountable government, with emphasis on the free enterprise system that made this Country great. What we get in return is rhetoric, stale, boilerplate responses, form letters and dozens of Republican Party requests for donations in the mail. They just don’t get what has happened to them.

During a Tea Party Express rally in Traverse City, MI on April 9 a speaker asked how many people were Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent. I was stunned at the number of people putting their hands up as an Independent or Libertarian, many of whom I know were registered Republicans my husband and I were included with those that did. We are obviously disappointed by where our Republican Party is right now and what they have failed to do during the years when in power. Given the chance to fix the health care system, they initiated nothing until the Obamacare crises pushed them into a response that was late in gaining public support. Any American with a brain will tell you that they understand that Medicare and Social Security cannot sustain itself without changes. The Republicans have been talking about tort reform for years as a means to cut health care costs but have accomplished nothing. Given the immigration problem the Republicans have again done nothing for years and even allowed John McCain to speak for them in asserting that illegal aliens in this country should be treated the same as those that have achieved citizenship legally. Most of all, the Republicans are just as complicit in the out of control spending that is going on in our Government without any thought as to the long term ramifications of their actions.

The Republican Party has known for years that we cannot continue to be dependent on foreign sources of oil. They did nothing while in power to address energy independence. This Administration’s solution to the energy problem is taxation through Cap and Trade Legislation, a cost Americans cannot afford. Now we are faced with protecting America’s Constitution and getting our Republic back to its core principles and values. The solution is to replace incumbents in the 2010 election with fiscally conservative, principled men and women who are true Reagan free enterprise candidates. This writer does not feel that the Republican Party and Republican National Committee is doing the one thing that will regain power in the House and Senate, or even assuring a win at the 2012 Presidential election. That action is to focus solely on the 18-44 year old age group, which in large part won Obama his election.

The reason is clear. We are not listening or strongly recruiting into the Republican Party this strong demographic group. Of the 206 million people who voted in the 2008 election 110 million Americans between the age of 18 and 44 “could have voted” in that election. Only 42 million voted. The majority of that group who voted indicated that they had been contacted and even recruited by the Obama campaign. Many reported that they were never contacted by the Republican Party or Republican National Committee and try to excite them about voting or even finding out what their key concerns were for the future of our country. Even Ron Paul’s campaign for liberty group was using its best efforts to capture this important vote but wasted a valuable “resource” that could have taken the election away from Barack Obama.

The younger generation in America today is not faced with the same problems that middle-aged people and seniors are except for one thing. Our debt and deficit crisis is real, affects everyone, and the survival of our Country is dependant on our fixing this problem. The spiraling taxes and out of control spending will put an end to life as we know it. The only way to steer away from the path this Country is on, is to listen to what young people have to say, encourage and enlighten them with our experience, and then walk hand in hand with them, making sure they all get registered and get out to their voting places in November.

This demographic group is a much more secular group and are not necessarily attached to any religious institutions, much as was the establishment Republican Party in the past. According to the November 12 Pew Research article on this voting block, they are also much more diverse ethnically than the older generation in our country. So it is my thought that very conservative Republicans who cherish life and rebuke leftist political agendas, including the Republican National Committee, might be wise to target this age group explicitly to be able to see the failings of the current Obama Administration and how its policies will adversely affect Americans and their way of life for decades to come. We seniors have to stop whining about health care cuts and about what is going to be taken away from us, because we will do just fine taking care of ourselves, our families and our neighbors. It is this fragile 18-44 age generation that is going to be impacted the most being taxed into oblivion. They will not have the opportunities to financially succeed that we had, losing more and more liberty every day. They are worried about what the future holds for them. Let’s use our wisdom, our skill, our love and our traditional Republican values to get them properly engaged in the next election process

"Politically Motivated"

There was a serious incident of violence against two Young Republicans near the Omni Hotel where the Southern Republican Leadership Conference was held last weekend. The attack came after a fundraiser at Brennan's Restuarant/Tavern which was attended by Governor Jindal.

The news is now just being released. Right blogs out of Louisiana first reported the story. So far, the mainstream media, outside of Louisiana has remained largely silent.

From the Times-Picayune, April 13 "New Orleans police seeking information about attack on Jindal aide":

The news release issued by New Orleans police Tuesday evening does not identify Allee Baustch or her boyfriend, but notes that the 25-year-old female victim and the 28-year-old male victim were attacked in the 600 block of St. Louis Street after leaving an event at a restaurant in the 400 block of Royal Street.

Jindal's office acknowledged on Monday that Bautsch, his chief campaign fundraiser, was recovering from a broken leg after an altercation with a group of people in the Quarter on Friday night. Bautsch was attacked after a fundraiser for the Louisiana Republican Party at Brennan's Restaurant, 417 Royal Street, the governor's office said...

the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel... is less than two blocks from Brennan's.

New Orleans police say that the incident began about 10:45 p.m. when a group of three to five men made "derogatory comments" to Bautsch and her boyfriend... at least one of the men struck him repeatedly. The woman "fell to the ground and screamed," the news release said.

The Hayride blog has been on top of this story. They reported late last night on confirmation "that the attack was politically motivated."

Bautsch's boyfriend "suffered a concussion, a fractured nose and a broken jaw in the incident."

UPDATE!

According to local Louisiana media sources: One of the suspects was described as a white male in his 20s, about 6-foot-1 with a thin build, a beard and auburn colored hair in a pony tail. Other reports say: "there were protestors outside the event at Brennan's..."

From Eric Dondero:

Some inside the libertarian movement and without have tried to make the argument that the Libertarian Party has just as much in common with Democrats than Republicans. Not so, according to this local Austin newspaper.

Background; Paul Workman just defeated the favored Holly Turner in a run-off GOP primary for State Rep. Discussing the potential outcome of the general election, Patrick Brendel of SW Austin Community Impact reports:

The Libertarian Party is also fielding a candidate, Austin resident Kris Bailey. (Libertarian candidates are traditionally thought to siphon potential votes away from Republicans.)

When not being denigrated as ‘teabaggers’, when not painted with a broad brush by focusing on the nuts any group has, the Tea Partiers can bring great value to the public discourse. For one thing, several of the Tea Partiers I know and have met have an excellent knowledge and grasp of the US Constitution.

I [...]

They say that money doesn’t grow on trees. That’s true. It grows in banks.
I’m not talking about compounding interest either. I’m talking about creation of money right out of thin air. It is well known and understood that the Federal Reserve (and other central banks) print money at will. What’s not so well understood is [...]

My 11th grade history once told my class that we have an illusion of power when it comes to our government. He said “You all will follow my instructions because I am the teacher, and I have the illusion of power. But there are 30 strong individuals in front of me, and you could easily ignore or overtake me at any moment. But you don’t, because you think I control you or you are too afraid of the consequences.”

by James Fryar

It has been said often, that anyone in the US can aspire to be president. Today’s Rasmussen Poll is a clear indication that this is in fact the case.

Pit maverick Republican Congressman Ron Paul against President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up, and the race is – virtually dead even.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds.

Obama with 42% support and Paul with 41% of the vote. Eleven percent (11%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

While I tend to find Paul a quirky character, I find myself more often in agreement with him than against. Apart from his weaknesses in foreign policy, mainly in the area of defense I tend to find him pretty sound. It’s a pity he seems to follow the leftist garbage line that the US is somehow an ‘empire’.

The poll though has him well within any margin of error. I doubt he could maintain the momentum in a real election with the rough and tumble of politics, but it must be a very disquieting time for Democrats when one of the most unlikely guys in Congress can be a threat to them.

It seems clear that if the Republicans can put up a genuinely fiscally conservative socially tolerant libertarian Republican in 2012, Obama is a goner. The slogan, “A second term for Jimmy Carter” will have been realized.

Editor's Note - Jim Fryar is a true Blue Collar Republican. He's an oil rig worker in south central Australia. He's also a member of the Australia Libertarian Society. His blog is Real World Libertarian. He covers the International Libertarian movement.

From Eric Dondero:

Reason Magazine (print issue) currently has a front page spread on Rand Paul and his US Senate race in Kentucky. In an on-line version, Reason points out Paul's differences with his famous father on foreign policy and defense issues.

(I am quoted in the magazine article, as well as noted in the on-line version.)

Reason Foundation, Opposing Views "The Son Also Rises; Ron Paul's Son, Rand Paul, Makes Big Impression":

What set Ron Paul apart from most Republicans, though, was his passionate opposition to the Iraq war and to the GOP’s interventionist foreign policy. Here Rand Paul is careful to tailor his arguments in ways that appeal to more conventional conservatives. The only section of his campaign website that deals at length with the war appears under the heading “National Defense.”

"Defending our Country is the most important function of the federal government," Paul says on his website. “When we are threatened, it is the obligation of our representatives to unleash the full arsenal of power that is granted by and derived from free men and women.”

Says Rand Paul campaign manager David Adams: "What people are seeing is that despite what our opponent says, Rand is actually very strong on national defense. He believes in doing what it takes to keep the American people safe and secure."

This careful messaging has helped Rand win the mainstream conservative support that eluded his father’s Republican presidential campaign. The biggest example is the endorsement of former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who said she was "proud to support great grassroots candidates like Dr. Paul..." has helped him appeal to Republicans who wanted to read his father out of the party in 2008, such as Erick Erickson of the activist conservative blog RedState.

The libertarian Republican activist Eric Dondero, a disgruntled former staffer of the elder Paul who contemplated a primary challenge against him, praises Rand Paul as a “pro-defense libertarian.” At the same time, dovish Ludwig von Mises Institute President Lew Rockwell is politely supportive—though not effusive—on his website, despite regarding much of the Republican primary electorate to which Rand must appeal as "red-state fascists."

No to Bailouts, No to Government Takeover of our Economy, No to Wasteful Spending

The headline in USAToday:

Jim Bunning endorses Tea Party favorite to replace him

The Statement from Senator Bunning's office:

In the United States Senate, Kentuckians need a strong, principled conservative to stand up to the liberals and establishment politicians that run Washington. Kentucky needs a conservative who will say no to bailouts, stop the government takeover of our economy, end wasteful spending, and bring down our national debt. And Kentucky's families need a conservative who believes in traditional values and the rights of the unborn. In 2010, there is only one such conservative running for the United States Senate -- Dr. Rand Paul.

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut on Sarah Palin, quoted in USA Today, April 13,"Lieberman: 'Everybody should listen' to Sarah Palin":

I think ... Sarah Palin for a lot of people has become a spokesperson. People worried that government has forgotten them, that it has grown too big, that the deficit is growing too large, and in some sense that we're not being as strong as we should be in the world — Governor Palin has spoken to those concerns as much as anyone.

I do disagree with her on some of the specifics that she has said, but I think anybody who underestimates Sarah Palin as a political force in America does so at some peril, because she is speaking for a lot of people out there.

Note - Palin has been a steadfast supporter of Israel. Late in the '08 campaign heavy internet rumors spread that she had a part Jewish ancestry on her mother's side. She never denied it. (Here's an article that delves into the question from Sarah Palin - 2008)

LR FOLLOW-UP

From Eric Dondero:

Michael Q. Sullivan, our friend from Empower Texans, and a former co-worker of mine in the congressional office of Rep. Ron Paul, brings us some good news. A candidate we have been highlighting here at LR, a solid Rick Perry style "libertarian-conservative" (as he was described by the local media in Lubbock), has won his primary run-off election.

From Michael:

House District 84: In this open seat, John Frullo won a strong victory over Mark Griffin.

Given Lubbock's overwhelming Republican orientation, Frullo is virtually assured of being the next State Rep. for the area.

Frullo is a small businessman fiercely opposed to ObamaCare, and to federal mandates on the states.

MQS also reports:

In fact, six of the seven candidates we (Empower Texas) endorsed won last night! Here's a quick wrap-up of our winning endorsements:
-> House District 14: State Rep. Fred Brown (who earned our "Taxpayer Advocate" award) easily won re-election.
-> House District 52: Republican Larry Gonzales won a strong run-off victory, and now faces incumbent Dianna Maldonado in November.
-> House District 66: Van Taylor won big over Mabrie Jackson... but it may not be over here. Because incumbent Brian McCall resigned his seat, there will be a special election on May 8.
-> House District 83: Charles Perry easily defeated incumbent Delwin Jones, perennially one of the worst Republicans in the Legislature.
-> House District 149: Conservative Jack O'Connor won his run-off, ready to face Democrat incumbent Hubert Vo in November.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility EmpowerTexans.com